"But Israel must take the initiative. Unless it calls off the offensive and accepts a genuine cease-fire, there are likely to be many, many dead Israelis in the coming weeks--and a much stronger Hezbollah." WHAT ABOUT DEAD LEBANESE? Do they count at all? Also, Robert Pape has a good book on suicide bombings, but he is NOT a Middle East expert, and it shows. Don't get me wrong. He has good political instincts. But look what he says about Hizbullah here: "Hezbollah--never tight-knit--expanded into an umbrella organization that tacitly coordinated the resistance operations of a loose collection of groups with a variety of religious and secular aims." Are you talking about Hizbullah or PLO here? Also, I can't believe that you were told that Arab Socialist Union was active in the resistance against Israeli occupation.